Common Thread
by Sarah Jo Dantess
Summary: Lily Evans and three other women team up as a pop string quartet to play at the Hogwarts Talent showcases. Friendships, music, and unintentionally catching the attention of a certain James Potter ensue.


_**Author's Note:**_ As some of you may have noticed, music, dance, and the arts in general are a recurring theme in my stories. So, here's another. This one is based on an electric string quartet/classical-crossover pop group, Bond. Give their music a listen, particularly their album PLAY. IT'S. AMAZING. In this story, Lily and a few girls from Hogwarts are violinists. I know nothing about playing the violin, I'm just going by what I know about Bond, so if the wrong technical term is used, I'm terribly sorry! This is a fun story! Listen to the music, as the title of each chapter represents one of Bond's songs. Hope you enjoy!

 **Another note:** This story does not contain the band, Bond. It just contains their music, as many stories on here do. Therefore, I do not believe it violates the guidelines.

- **S.J.D.**

* * *

Lily had had no clue that there were other string players at Hogwarts. It was actually pretty difficult to find anyone that played an instrument in such a small population, let alone three other women who were extraordinary at it, and representing all the Hogwarts houses. But, here she sat, in Dumbledore's office no less, with those three women.

Ellery Zade, a Slytherin, was a violist with very pretty taffy blonde-colored, loose curls, tanned skin, and soft brown eyes. Josephina Shays, a Hufflepuff, was a cellist with a straight chestnut mane, ivory skin, a notoriously defined jawline, and turquoise eyes. Finally, there was Isla Mirren, a Ravenclaw, and a half-Filipino and half-English second violinist with the most beautiful jet-black curls and dark brown eyes, and pink, full lips that most women in Hogwarts found themselves jealous of.

Then there was the Gryffindor, Lily. Known for her bright red hair, almond-shaped green eyes, and bookish tendencies, she was a first violinist. She sat uneasily in the office, not know many of the other girls very well. No faculty were present. They had been brought up by Professor Flitwick and been old to wait as he hobbled to get some other staff members. Josephina was the first to break the awkward silence.

"So…" she began, awkwardly as the silence that had settled before them. "I suppose I'll go first." She stood up before the group and gave a small wave. "Well, my name's Josephina, Shays, that is, I'm in Hufflepuff, and I don't really know why we're here, except that our common thread is that we all play a stringed instrument which get a bow drawn across it. So, I'm Josephina."

Lily stifled a chuckle. This was like those support groups she'd seen on the Muggle television set back home. "Hi, Josephina," she said, and, to her surprise, her sentiment was echoed by her two other sitting counterparts. Lily grinned. Josephina sat back down awkwardly. When no one moved, Lily shrugged and got up before them.

"All right, then," she grumbled. "Well, I'm Lily Evans, I'm in Gryffindor, and I also can sense that the only thing we have in common is our instruments. I'd also like to point out that no annoying boys are present. That'll be all, then." She sat down as the other three chuckled.

Next, Ellery got up. "Okay, so, I'm Ellery, and I'm in Slytherin. I'm also a half-blood, which, of course, makes me unacceptable in my peers' eyes. It's quite tragic, really," she continued, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "I come to Hogwarts wanting nothing but my own haughty, green-wearing friends to accept me as a supremacist, and they just can't find it in them. It's truly a travesty."

The other three chuckled with her when she couldn't bear to be sarcastic anymore. "You know, I think of all the Slytherins I've met in my five-plus years here, I like you the best," Lily said, laughing. Ellery grinned.

"Sorry I'm the standard for that, but thank you," she said, in a self-deprecating manner. The girls laughed as Isla stood up before them.

"Well, hello. I'm Isla, and as witty as a Ravenclaw is supposed to be, I just…I can't follow up to Ellery's bit. I've got nothing. So, yeah." The girls doubled over in laughter at the irony.

They were still laughing when Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Dumbledore entered the study. "Ah," Professor Dumbledore said, "There is little success where there is little laughter. How glad I am to see much laughter here."

The girls quieted themselves and sat in their chairs again, still giggling.

"Good afternoon, ladies," Professor McGonagall said when hey had calmed down. "Now, you're all probably wondering why you're here." The girls nodded, already having figured out the links between them, but not wishing to interrupt. "You may have noticed that when we sent out a survey at the start of the term, we asked what students did in their free time. When we saw what the four of you like to do, we asked around your peers to gauge your level of talent. And, clearly, we have been missing out on something extraordinary since you all have been here."

The girls tried not to blush.

"Now, since we know what students appear to entertain, we'd like to extend an invitation to you four to be a part of it. The Head Boy and Girl have set up weekly talent shows here at the school for entertainment, and we'd like you to appear at each of them…as a group."

"Us? A string quartet?" Isla asked.

"Yes, indeed. Now, I would warn you. Don't lull the students to sleep. If you can add any entertainment factor, by all means, do it," said Professor Flitwick. Lily grinned at Josephina, who caught her idea.

"Actually, professor, I think we have some ideas. We'll keep things quite fun." The professors looked questioningly at them, and the girls smiled.


End file.
